Openings

We are growing a new research group at NTU and have multiple openings for motivated students. The research agenda of our group is concerned with designing theories and automated methods for ensuring that software and AI systems are correct, safe, and trustworthy. Our research interests are broad and lie at the interplay of Formal Methods, Programming Languages, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, with interest in both theory and automation aspects. Hence, we welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. All positions are fully funded.

Singapore is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place with a thriving academic landscape. It is also a perfect place for fellow food lovers. NTU is a premier university that provides an excellent research environment with strong groups in formal methods, programming languages, and AI.

PhD Positions

I welcome applications from highly motivated students who wish to pursue a PhD in our group and push the boundaries of theory and automation of safe and trustworthy software and AI. During your PhD, you will conduct both theoretical and empirical research on designing novel algorithms for verifying correctness of programs and of AI systems. You will also contribute to publishing and presenting research findings at premier conferences in formal methods, AI/ML, or programming languages (our group has an excellent track record in all these fields).

Prerequisites. As our group’s research interests are broad, there is no single ideal candidate profile and we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including those with a degree in computer science, mathematics, software engineering or other related fields. However, an ideal candidate should have a solid background in maths, algorithms and probability (computer science major level), AI/ML (for AI related PhD topics) as well as prior experience in coding in order to be able to meaningfully contribute to the research done in our group. While prior research experience is a plus, it is not required and we do not expect students to have prior publications (you will publish papers during your PhD in our group :)). Master degree is not required and we welcome candidates straight from their undergraduate studies.

What you can expect. Pursuing a PhD degree is a highly rewarding but also challenging journey. As your PhD supervisor, I am committed to helping you make this journey as successful and enjoyable as possible. You can expect hands on supervision, regular meetings and support in exploring new research ideas, identifying research problems that intrigue you and solving these research problems, as well as in developing soft scientific skills such as paper writing or establishing research collaborations (our group has a very diverse set of collaborations across Asia, Europe and North America). My goal is to help you not only succeed during your PhD studies, but also later in your academic or industry career. Finally, as a PhD supervisor, I am committed to promoting a healthy and inclusive working environment.

PhD application procedure. PhD application process at NTU is centralised and all applications should be submitted through our PhD Programme. Please apply via this link and list me as a potential advisor. At the link, you can also find the list of all required application documents. Before applying, please also email me directly so that I am aware of your application and that we can chat about your research interests and potential PhD topics that we could work on together. In the email, include your CV, transcripts, and a few sentences on your research interests and how they relate to my research.

Financial support. The PhD programme at NTU provides full scholarships together with a generous monthly stipend for full-time PhD students. See the details here.